“60 is the new 40” could be the battle cry of the baby boomers. Certainly those of us who were born in the post-World War II era don’t like getting old. Increasingly baby boomers are visiting spas, beauty salons and even the plastic surgeon to try and keep the wrinkle from the door.

The popular media encourages us all to look the best that we can. So much so that the concept of ”growing old gracefully” has been relegated to the depths of our memories.

The beauty counters of the major department stores are littered with products that promise much and deliver little. The invention of scientific or pseudoscientific words to market these products reinforces the myth of eternal and possibly regained beauty.

The glamour glossy fashion magazines feature models–usually under the age of 20– promoting products that will enhance, lift, revitalise, rejuvenate and, by insinuation, rebirth our youth. And we all believe it to a certain extent. Because we want to.

The way we look and particularly our facial features influence profoundly the way we live, the way others interact with us, how we are accepted into a niche in society. Most of us want to belong and if we are to belong we tend to adhere to the accepted.

Men– sometimes described as metrosexuals– are just as likely to be influenced by the marketing and advertising as women. The gender divide has been lessened.

Sometimes called an S lift this was a relatively minor procedure performed under local anaesthesia in the rooms and whilst some patients may have received some improvement, results were very short lived. This was because the procedure only dealt with the skin and not the underlying deeper tissues which are often the source of the facial sagging.

A liquid face lift

In recent years we have seen a plethora of injectable agents come onto the market. Some of these products are very good quality and are used to enhance the mid-face over the cheekbones thus giving the impression of a more youthful look. Careful patient selection can mean that a very acceptable result is obtained although this result will only last for about 9 to 12 months.

A MACS lift

In the MACS facelift the SMAS is anchored superiorly and sutured in a new position to improve the jowls and enhance the cheekbones.

A thread lift

This is a type of non-surgical face lift which purports to lift the tissues using barbed sutures placed in position with a needle. The procedure is done under local anaesthetic in the office. Whilst such a straightforward procedure promised great things the reality often did not match the promises.

Most plastic surgeons never did thread lifts and even those practitioners who spruiked it seem to have now abandoned its use.

A SMAS Lift

The superficial musculo aponeurotic system is the cornerstone to achieving a good result after a facelift. Repositioning of this layer of tissue is critical in not only obtaining a good early result but also a long-lasting result. There are various methods used in manipulating the SMAS such as suturing, dissection and plication etc.